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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22900057">North Side of the Trees</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesirensong/pseuds/thesirensong'>thesirensong</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Disregard of personal space, Human Logan, Human Virgil, M/M, Mythical Beings &amp; Creatures, Satyr Patton, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, also why do i keep writing creature deceit, harpy remus, harpy roman, idk man but i love doing it so who cares, lamia deceit, virgil really just goes with whatever happens to him in my fics doesnt he</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:27:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,689</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22900057</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesirensong/pseuds/thesirensong</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Virgil gets caught in the thrall of a Will-o'-the-wisp and finds himself in the territory of a lamia- a half snake half human creature, and is a little freaked but a lot gay and Jesus how is this his life?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Deceit Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>153</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>North Side of the Trees</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This has been in the works for. So long. Too long, honestly. But the first part is done! I'm pretty excited about that, actually and I'm even more excited to get part two out once it's finished.</p>
<p>Enjoy!!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Virgil doesn’t really know what happened after he’d entered the forest. He remembers seeing a wispy light off in the distance and despite </span>
  <em>
    <span>knowing </span>
  </em>
  <span>it was a Will-o'-the-wisp it was almost as if he’d been possessed by the urge to follow it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Will-o'-the-wisp’s typically lead you somewhere you wouldn’t be seen again. Most assumed that meant death, Virgil was inclined to agree. Not like he was able to stop though, even as he kept tripping over roots and stumbling over fallen branches. His trance like focus on following the wisp never broke, his gaze never wavered from the ghost-like fire that was always several feet in front of him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t come back to himself until it dissipated, seemingly scared off by something Virgil couldn’t see because as soon as he was aware of his surroundings he was kind of panicking.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hoooly shit,” he cursed, looking around the dense forest, an area he’d never been before because it wasn’t within the designated safety borders and Virgil was never really fond of the forest </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyway</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil was honestly so busy panicking he didn’t see the glowing yellow eyes in the trees, didn’t notice the movement of a thick tail loosening from a thick branch until there was suddenly a cacophony of crunching leaves and a thud on the ground in front of him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He snapped his head up, hands pulling away from yanking at his hair to ground him while he breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth in calculated measures.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Except he wasn’t really breathing very evenly now, if at all, what with looking at a fucking half snake dude laying in the ground, arms crossed as he used them to prop himself up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Virgil asked, letting out a disbelieving laugh because lamias were typically women, at least from the rare sightings humans had seen of them and also because lamias had never willingly showed themselves to a human before and he was a little worried about what that meant for his safety.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The lamia started speaking, and Virgil flinched back as pain threatened to split his skull in two at the sounds coming from the snake man’s throat. He stopped speaking, frowning for a moment before sighing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Want…” he started, a strange accent thick in the word, “want keep you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>...What?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil stared at the lamia, utterly perplexed that he was trying to talk to him in broken english. How the hell was he supposed to react to this?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Snake man huffed, pushing himself up until he was eye level with Virgil, making the slit pupils and scales decorating his face so much more detailed and… </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jesus Christ, Virgil was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>gay for a snake, nope this was not happening.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Want keep you. You dumb?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil snorted out another laugh, trying to keep it stifled because if he was attracted to a snake then </span>
  <em>
    <span>yeah</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he’d say he’s pretty fucking dumb.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s… up for debate at the moment. Um… you. You want to keep me?” he asked, taking a step back when the lamia grew closer to him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The movement made him narrow his eyes, and the next thing Virgil knew he was wrapping himself around him and he was suddenly encased in snake.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil went red faced, letting out a small squeak because wow he was not expecting to be in this situation today. Granted, he hadn’t been expecting to meet a lamia ever, and yet here he was.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You followed wisp. Found me. I want keep you, make safe,” he kept speaking, a forked tongue slipping out between his words.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Oh God, his pupils got big all of a sudden, was that a bad thing?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The lamia leaned forward suddenly, burying his face in Virgil’s neck and tongue ghosting over his neck, forcing another startled squeak from his throat.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Smell good. Taste good. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Look </span>
  </em>
  <span>good. Let me keep you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil found himself asking once again how the fuck he was supposed to react to this. A lamia found him attractive apparently? A monster… who’s kind had been typically caught eating men wanted to keep him, and apparently make sure he was safe?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>What. What the fuck was his life right now?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay well you suddenly got so much more personal than I have let even my last boyfriend get so maybe-” he cleared his throat, trying to ignore his burning face as he gently pushed the lamia’s face away from his neck, “maybe back up a little bit, dude.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Snake man seemed to pout, but he at least followed Virgil’s guidance away from his neck.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And also why? Like you’re cute, I can </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>deny that,” Virgil continued, trying not to get distracted by the pretty pink that dusted the lamia’s face at that, “but humans have found lamia’s eating men before and I gotta be a little worried about my safety here.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Snake man shook his head, seeming irritated by Virgil’s words and wow, he could not help his concern for his well-being spiking at that.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Only women and only human men who threaten safety. Still dangerous here, but I keep safe.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ah, well okay that was a little less worrying?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And you are pretty. Prettiest human I’ve seen. Let me…” the lamia eyed his neck again, his tongue slipping out as he breathed deeply, “let me keep you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You are really insistent on that, aren’t you?” Virgil asked, rubbing at his neck as his eyes dropped to the tail wrapped around his legs up to his waist.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His scales were a pretty shade of yellow, with paler patches littering his tail in random shapes, sizes, and placements. Virgil used his free hand to stroke over the skin, now distracted with the way the muscle seemed to contract under his touch.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The lamia hissed, and Virgil’s eyes snapped up to his face again to see a flustered expression.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh uh… sorry, man,” he said, pulling his hand away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Snake man shook his head, taking a moment to seemingly recover before he spoke up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Name? Need name to keep you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil bit his lip, glancing around the forest as he thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That… would be interesting, but he wasn’t sure how he felt being ‘kept’ by a lamia when he had a life back in town. It wasn’t much of one, and he struggled to make ends meet more often than not, but he wasn’t sure how well he’d take to being away from people.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Flattering offer, but I can’t really say it’s all that tempting outside of the pretty snake man offering it,” he said, looking at the lamia.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He frowned, leaning away from Virgil for a second as he thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You keep me?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil spluttered, blinking rapidly as he jerked back the best he could wrapped up in lamia tail.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What? Dude no, you’d literally be killed if someone found you and I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>about to let that be on my conscience.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as his pout returned.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This lamia really needed to stop being cute so Virgil could stop dealing with the crisis of wanting to kiss him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Then stay with me,” he said, getting closer to Virgil’s face again, reaching a hand up to run it through his hair, a soft gasp escaping him and his other hand joining the first.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Was he… being petted by a snake?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You haven’t really done much to sweeten the deal, snake man,” Virgil said, a little amused by his excitement over his hair.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The lamia paused, shifting his attention from Virgil’s hair to his face, though his hands remained buried in the strands.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” he asked, making Virgil raise an eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Not sure what you’re asking, dude. ‘What’ is the </span>
  <em>
    <span>vaguest </span>
  </em>
  <span>possible question.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What did you call me?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Well his english seemed to be getting better, at least?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Snake man? I don’t exactly know your name,” Virgil answered, shoving his hands in his hoodie pocket so he didn’t do something dumb, like pet the guy’s tail again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He hummed, going back to playing with Virgil’s hair.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“My language hurts you, name would be bad to say.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil thought at that, trying to keep his mind focused and not melt when the snake started digging his nails into his scalp, scratching the skin in a pleasant way.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you like… translate your name to english? Since you seem to be able to speak it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The lamia paused at that, tilting his head and looking up at the treetops for a moment.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Deceit. Closest word.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil nodded, gently pulling Deceit’s hands from his hair.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well it’s nice to meet you, Deceit, but I should really get home. It’s getting pretty late, and I’ve really gotta figure out how to get home because I’m honestly lost as fuck.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Deceit frowned, looking at Virgil’s face in consideration.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Stay with me for night. I will get you home tomorrow if promise to visit.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil weighed his options, letting out a sigh because his choice was honestly very small.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Either he got lost in a forest full of magical creatures that want to kill, eat, or keep him with malicious intent, or he stay the night with the lamia who had proven to at least not want to hurt him on purpose and go back home tomorrow so he can figure out how to work visiting said lamia into his not so busy schedule.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, alright. I can agree to that.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Deceit grew visibly excited for a moment before he cleared his throat and schooled his expression into a more muted eager one.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Perfect. Will lead you to nest, meet pests who like visits.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil watched as Deceit’s expression grew into fond irritation at the mention of the ‘pests’ and he had to assume he probably meant friends. He could relate to that, Remy was the most annoying fucker in town but Virgil would honestly kill for him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, Dee. Can’t really walk with you wrapped around me though.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Deceit grew red, Virgil letting out an amused laugh as he uncoiled himself from around his legs.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry. Let’s go, before moon rise.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil shrugged, and gestured for Deceit to lead the way.</span>
</p>
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